Note: This is a guest post by Richard Seppala, the founder of TCS in Orlando, Florida. He helps businesses measure customer response and ROI for each advertisement or campaign. You can find Richard at http://www.yourroiguy.com

If you run a business, I’m sure you’d love it if someone knocked at your door, you answered it and, there, in front of you, was someone asking if they could be a client. I think I know what the answer would be!

Well, someone calling your place of business to inquire about a product or service isn’t any different than someone knocking on your door. The only difference might be…who’s answering that call?

Are You Losing Valuable Leads?

You could have the best marketing and advertising campaign in the world driving people to call you immediately – a campaign with a potentially amazing ROI – but if you lose your generated leads at the point of sale, that money all gets flushed down the drain.

For instance, maybe you’ve got a receptionist prone to going outside for a cigarette and forgetting to turn on the voice mail system.

A prospect calls because of a great direct mail piece you sent out. They’re ready to do business. But, instead of getting a person answering their call, or, at least, a message, all they get, “Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring.”

I could type out ten more “Ring’s,” but you get the idea. You’re not making that sale. Probably ever.

Now let’s go with an alternate scenario.

Perhaps, as luck would have it, the generated lead calls after your receptionist’s break.

The receptionist says, in a tired voice, (it is 3 o’clock and the burrito they had for lunch is making them reaaaaal sleepy), “Hi, so-and-so’s office, can I help you?”

“Yes,” the prospect says, “I’m really interested in so-and-so’s so and so.”

“Oh,” says the Receptionist. “Okay. That costs so-and so.”

“Actually, I had a few questions first. Does it do so-and-so and so-and-so? And how long does it take?”

“I dunno,” mutters the Receptionist.

Awkward pause.

“Could you…find out?”

“Um…I guess…hang on.”

The Receptionist puts the phone down on top of the desk – not on hold – and goes back to ask you the question.

But turns out you’re talking with someone else on another line. The Receptionist waits, not indicating it’s important in any way…finally asks the question…gets the answer…goes back and picks up the phone.

And gets a dial tone. The receptionist shrugs and looks forward to another cigarette break. No skin off their teeth.

The prospect who hung up? They haven’t lost anything either. They’ll just go on with their lives.

Meanwhile, here’s what you’ve lost.

A sale.

More potential future business.

Contact information.

Marketing info on what campaign got the person to call in the first place.

And a big dent in your overall ROI.

You spent a lot to get that person to contact you. And all you have to show for it is a turned-off prospect who thinks you run a Mickey Mouse organization.

The last customer you should be losing is the one that’s coming to you, ready to buy from you.

That should be a no-brainer, but, unfortunately, all too often that’s exactly where we’ve stopped thinking our operation through – and we lose valuable revenue.

Testimonials

Ann, I am very lucky to have stumbled into your email list! In my busy day, I get a lot of emails, I have only moments to quickly scan them, and discard most of them. Then there is “Ann”, my friend that I have never met.

I can always count on your to-the-point postings to put some sense to my often bizarre work day. This latest, dealing with price objections, was a gem.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for the good work you do. I really appreciate it, I’m certain many others do to. We normally just hear criticism. I like to make sure that people hear the compliments, as well.